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Much of our discussion over the coming week will center on prop bets.  There’s plenty of different options for Superbowl betting in addition to the side and total of the game.  Most of the prop bets we’ll feature here will come from Bodog since they’re offering an unrivaled selection of wagers including some unique propositions that can provide some good NFL betting value.  If you don’t already have an account at Bodog you should go ahead and open one to take advantage of the countless betting positions we’ll be highlighting over the next week.  Go ahead, do it now.  We’ll wait until  you get back….

There are a couple of reasons that sportsbooks like to offer a wide variety of prop bets.  First of all, they’re aware that the Superbowl brings in a large number of casual NFL betting enthusiasts.  They want to give them a lot of opportunities for action, and since these players are typically not experienced handicappers it’s usually a good financial move for the books.  While most of the prop bets focus on typical football statistics like rushing yardage and first downs, a growing number of books like to spice things up with more unique prop bets.  That leads us to the second major reason books offer prop bets, and specifically ‘unique’ prop bets–its a great way to get some mainstream publicity.  A quick Google search will reveal a number of mainstream media articles on the number and variety of Superbowl proposition wagers.  Some of these are created almost exclusively to get publicity.  For example, sportsbooks have offered wagers on the halftime show and this year on Tim Tebow’s much discussed TV commercial for ‘Focus on the Family’.  Sometimes these are bets worth making, but for the sportsbook the biggest benefit they get out of them is mainstream publicity.

Our discussion here at SportsUntapped, however, isn’t going to just talk about the prop bets available.  We don’t want you to be just another ‘casual bettor’ making uneducated plays on prop bets.  We’ve handicapped the prop bet menu in great detail–just as we have every year–and we’ve found some great value positions on these wagers.  In most cases, its possible to take a position on prop bets that isn’t dependent on the outcome of the game.  That’s another difference between how the casual player and serious handicapper approaches these bets.  The casual player may, for example, think the Saints will win and will play his prop bets accordingly.  More often than not that’s not a good strategy.  Regardless of who wins the game and by how much, the performance of the individual players and the statistical output of the teams is something that we can evaluate objectively.

In the early part of this week we’ll look at prop bets and later in the week we’ll give you a full analysis of the Superbowl betting side and total.  We’ll tell you the best way to play them and where to play them.  Our goal is to make the Superbowl experience not only enjoyable, but profitable.